Warriors get hometown hero Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin (photo. David Silverman)
After sifting through offers from the Lakers and Mavericks, among other teams, Vegas Summer League sensation Jeremy Lin signed with the Golden State Warriors this week.
Wait, Jeremy who?
His name is Jeremy Lin. He spent four years at the prestigious Harvard University, excelling not only in the classroom, but on the basketball court as well. He averaged 16.6 points and 4.4 dimes his senior year, and dropped 30 against 13th-ranked UConn in a 79-73 loss earlier in the year.
Lin flew under the radar for the majority of his college career, mainly because he played in a mid-major conference whose games were rarely televised. Regardless, he lead the Crimson to a third place finish in the Ivy League Conference (10-4) and a 21-8 overall record.
After going undrafted, Lin was invited to play with the Dallas Mavericks summer league squad and immediately began to turn heads. With his above-average athleticism, sneaky quickness, and deep NBA range, the Harvard grad was quite successful in summer league play.
What made Jeremy Lin a hot commodity was when his Mavericks took on the Washington Wizards and No. 1 pick John Wall. The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas was packed, filled to the brim with NBA lovers who came to watch the lightning quick, ultra-athletic point guard from Kentucky. But it was a different point guard who stole the show. Lin scored 13 points on 6-12 shooting in his limited action, proving to all who watched that he was not just a feel good story but a kid who could actually play.
Multiple teams were interested in signing Lin for next season, before the Warriors signed him. What many don’t know is that Lin has been a lifelong Warrior’s fan. Growing up less than an hour away from Oakland, Lin’s dream of someday playing for his hometown are soon to come true. The Bay Area native led his high school to a Division II state title in his senior year while averaging 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals a game. Lin was named first team All-State and Northern California Player of the Year but didn’t receive a single Division I scholarship offer.
With free agents Anthony Morrow joining the New Jersey Nets and C.J. Watson signing with the Chicago Bulls, the Warriors were in need of depth at the guard position. Lin will provide the Dubs with a solid backup for Steph Curry and Monta Ellis.
The Palo Alto native would be the first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA since 1953 and would add to the very short list of Asian-American players in the NBA.
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July 22nd, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Bruce says:
I wanted to call him China-Man but dude is actually Taiwanese! Add another Rice-Eater to the likes of Yao and Yi but this one is American-born!
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Just call him “ASIAN” or “OTHER ASIAN”… LOL (just dont ask how I got the effin’ idea)
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:25 pm
NY says:
Bruce, my dude..
shut the fuck up!
Love this kids game btw
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:26 pm
jello says:
it was only a matter of time before somebody signed this kid. Lin FTW!
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:22 pm
kg fan says:
glad he got signed by the warriors. being from the bay and being asian, i’m glad he got signed for actually being good. at least better than sun yue
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
We should just call him Shao-Lin
But kid can ball, and he’s got the Bball IQ to run the GSW retarded offense. Also with him going to Harvard he may be smart enough to negotiate Nellies buyout.
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
JAY says:
Stunna… I think you may have just coined his nickname.
Good job bud!!!!!!!
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
hahns says:
love this story! hope he becomes an allstar- lin and steph curry in the backcourt will be fun to watch!
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:12 pm
JD says:
I can somehow sensed that someone will make a racist comment soon
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Ewallet says:
I went to HS with Lin, and attended every game that our underrated team played. This kid is simply incredible to watch.. morons from the other team would sometimes make jokes or laugh about his Asian heritage, only to see him break ankles and straight embarrass their prized players. Keep on hating… cuz it’s always fueled him to prove everyone wrong.
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:32 pm
nola says:
politically correct: i’m pretty sure he’s the only asian-american ever in the league. the rest were simply asians.
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
one and done says:
Just call him Ball-Lin.
…..terrible joke, i know.
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:05 pm
daghost says:
@ stunna…i love that nickname u gave dude. shao-lin is perfect. happy for the kid, excelled in the classrooms and set up his financial career that way and still achieved his basketball dream of playing in the NBA. easy choice for him. He must truly love the game, cuz he’s probably skipping out of millions of dollars that he could be making working for some law firm right now lol. love a story like this!!! rooting for you SHAO-LIN!!!
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Legend 33 says:
his stats will probably be inflated in Nelson’s offense and make him look better than he really is. Kid is a few years away, should be in the D-League to hone is skills. And are there really lifelong Warriors fans? I read he had a Sprewell poster and Joe Smith jersey growing up, why would anybody want those items.
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Average Jose says:
GO SHAO-LIN! Feel good story of the year. Hoping he makes 2nd team all rookie. ( not first team because I’m a John Wall fan )
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
sh!tfaced says:
SHAO-LIN!!! Someone give Stunnaboy a prize pls
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:12 pm
This_Will_Hurt says:
this kids better than a lot of the scrubs who got drafted…daniel orton? dude sucks hard man
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
Thanks guys I try.
and you hear that Dime, this guy wants his price man.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Jerry says:
I do like Shao-Lin, but what about Linsanity, haha
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:47 am
bakedbeing says:
I’m with Jerry. How about instead of Shao-lin we pick something that isn’t raced-based, seeing as we’re not all old white commentators who were born in the 50s, and we’re also not knuckleheads chatting on some shitty tv show. You know, maybe something basketball related. Or perhaps we wait and see how the kid differentiates himself, and go from there. Shao-lin, you could get a job as a hollywood action-film scriptwriter with that kind of wit.
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:09 am
Peter says:
Isn’t it interesting how, in the U.S., people can post ridiculously racist crap about Asians (see Bruce 1 above) and we barely notice (one mention only, by NY), but if someone posts anything that can be perceived as remotely insensitive about African Americans he’s automatically branded a Nazi, militia member, ignorant knuckle-dragger, etc?
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:07 am
Sasquatch says:
I really like Shao-lin, if we stay kung fu sided we might add “Bruce lin” or we might call the warriors gym “Linking park” instead of Oracle Arena..i’m just saying..
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:41 am
M says:
Shao lin’s not bad but JLin would prefer something non-racial.
I like the sound of “The Havard kid” posted by VpBalla916 in the ESPN Truehoops article on Lin.
How about something biblical since Lin is always discussing his religion?
July 23rd, 2010 at 5:02 am
deneum says:
Religious nickname? “Lin 3:16?”
July 23rd, 2010 at 5:28 am
Stunnaboy09 says:
I know Shao-Lin sounds racy but we can call Glen Davis “Big Baby”? Doesn’t that insinuate he’s fat? I mean I’m against racism but isn’t calling Yao “The Great Wall” the same thing? Same goes with “Chocolate Thunder”? Heck people called Larry Bird “The Hick from French Lick”
Not sure if he’d like it but I damn sure am calling him Jeremy “Shao” Lin from now on. Sounds catchy and that’s all I want from a nickname.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:13 am
jeff says:
“I consider myself a basketball player more than an Asian-American,” said the Bay Area native (Jeremy Lin).”
So how about a basketball player nickname, not something based on him being Asian American.
Linsanity is pretty funny.
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Matt says:
Congrats to Warriors to get a Palo Alto product, I am sure it will help their ticket sells. Nothing else will cause they SUCK.
July 24th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Jimbo says:
what a shame, turning down the Lakers were he could could potentially get a ring his rookie year for a team that can’t get off the ground. He could have played with the best, and learn from the best. Imagine how good this guy could be if he was under Kobe’s tutelage? Doesn’t even have to play many minutes but practicing and learning from the defending champs will probably to more for him that struggling under the warriors.
July 26th, 2010 at 2:57 am
G State Dubs says:
JImbo, you are dumb, Kobe doesn’t teach anybody anything, He is a selfish stuck up piece of crap human. Best player in the league, but still, he is a prick. Lin will get to actually play for the Warriors. I would rather play than never see time and get a ring. I’m sure the only thing Adam Morrison likes about his ring is the fact that he got a huge bonus for being on a championship team. You should ask Mark Madsen how much fun he had winning 2 championships. Besides, the Warriors are BACK!